Fire-escape apparatus.



Patented Aug. 28, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET1l H. l. SNOOK.

FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS.

` APPLICATION HLED AUG-1.1915. Lgp,

H. j. SNOOK.

FIRE ESCAPE APPARATUS.

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Y 3:: J'. SNOOK, OF ATOLIA., CAIFORMA.

FIRE-ESCAPE APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 28, 1917.,

Be it known that I, HENRY J. SNooK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Atolia, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escape Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a fire escape ap- -paratus and particularly pertains to a port'- able apparatus by which various points upon afbuilding may be reached.

It isan object of this invention to pro` vide an apparatus for rescuing persons from burning buildings, which apparatus will be universal in its action and may be readily manipulated to reach various floors of a building as well as various openings therealong.

Another object of this invention is to provide the escape apparatus with a mountingfupon a motor 'vehicle, said4 vehicle adapted to supply power to the apparatus .as well as to an air compressor by which 25 several of the elements are manipulated.

Another object is to provide suitable means whereby the vehicle and apparatus may be adjustably braced against the weight of the rescued passengers. l. Another object is to provide a pneumatically operated telescoping tower which may be universally controlled by a single op- A erator stationed upon an operating platform. v

Another object is to provide simple means whereby a hoisting cage may be controlled in relation to the re tower, said controlling means being mountedv in a manner to eliminate maximum strains upon the tower.

Another object is to provide a tower control mechanism which will adjustably support the tower throughout a vertical plane and will at the same time brace it against side thrust.

Another object is to provider a turn-table upon which the-apparatus is adapted to -be mountedand which will be counter-balanced by the mechanism thereon` to insure that the device will be rigidly held against undue strains at all times.-

, Another object is to provide means whereby all the elements of the apparatus may be simply and speedily controlled.

Another object is to provide means whereby the engine of the motor vehicle may be used to operate an air compressor while the vehicle is standing idle and to further provide a storage receptacle for said compressed air so that the apparatus may be instantly used upon arrival at the scene of action..

A further object is to provide simple means operable by the power of the vehicle englne whereby the tower may be supported as it 1s swung to be raised or lowered by the manipulation of a single positively acting clutc Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The` invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

- Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the complete fire escape apparatus as assembled and ready for action.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view as seen on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in plan illustrating the apparatus as mounted upon its turn-table, and with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the vital elements of the apparatus.

Fig. A is a perspective view in plan illustrating the gear shift mechanism by which the vertical movement of the tower is controlled. y

Referring to the drawings more particularly, 10 indicates a vehicle chassis which is constructed with asuitable frame 11 supported upon front and rear axles 12 and 13.

The axles are provided with suitable. supporting springs and wheels. Mounted upon the forward end of the frame 11 is an internal combustion engine 14 which transmits its power through transmission gears 15 to a propeller shaft 16. The ropeller shaft isl mounted at its rear end within the. diderential case of the vehicle axle 13 and thus supplies power' of traction for the vehicle. All of the foregoing parts may or may not be of common construction and dedrums. The drums are provided with cables 21 and 22 which are led upwardly and are 4secured within 'a single mounting lmember delivered-it from a storage tank 25 by means I of a flexible conduit 26, the storage tank having been supplied air under pressure by "fa compressor 27, as will hereafter be eX- plained. The tower 24 is pivotally `mounted upon bearings 28 and 29 secured to the turn-table and spaced ,upon diametrically opposite sides of the center of rotation of the table. A yoke tting 30 is rigidly secured to the lower endof the tower 24 and connects with the bearings 28 and 29 by means of arms 31'and 32 suitably pivoted within these bearings. The mounting of the tower within the fitting is particularly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. This view further discloses the tower as composed of a series of telescoping sections which are provided with out-turned flanges 33 .at their lower ends and in-turned flanges 34 at their upper ends. The space between said flanges is substantially the amount of movement allowed each individual section and the combined distances between the flanges ofadjacent sections will be the amount of elongation afforded the tower when distended by vthe airdelivered from the compressor tank '25 through the inlet opening 35 to the inner chamber of the tower. v The compressor 27, which is provided to supply air under pressure to the tank 25, is actuated by the engine through a chain 36 which connects with it and is positively connected with a sprocket detachably mount ed upon the shaft 37 of the transmission unit and optionally controlled by a clutch lever 38 conveniently positioned alongside the drivers seat.

As a means for mechanically operating the drums 19 and 20, a drive shaft 39 is provided and mounted at one end within the case of the transmission gears. This end of the shaft is formed with ay key-way 40 upon which a driving gear 4l is splined and adapted to be reciprocally moved by a shifting yoke 42 which is controlled by a lever 43 operatively connected therewith by a connecting link 44, Movement of this gear in one direction causes it to4 mesh with a gear 45 mounted upon shaft 46 of the transmission and will cause the drums to wind their cables upon them. 4Movement of the gear 41 in the opposite direction will cause it lto become enmeshed with gear 47 mounted upon l the reverse shaft 48 ofthe transmissionand Vwill thus tend to unwind the cables and lower the tower. e

It will be noted that the endof the shaft 39 which is adjacent the center of the turn- `are operative at alltimes.

l52 which is mounted with hoisting basket 55 w 'ftinued when required. This peculiar arrangement of'the driving mechanism has been necessitated by the fact that the table 17 rotates upon its center and that the drums tated by means of a compressed air motor y its driving shaft extending vertically and having one end pro- Jecting beneath the table. This end of the driving shaft of themotor 52 is fitted with a spur gear 53 adaptedr to mesh with 'teeth upon a sector rack 54'which is formed with teeth around its inner perimeter. Thus it will be seen that the turn-table is positively actuated and may be controlled without difficulty while-loaded.

The tower 24 is Erovidedl to support a fire-proof material of suiici'ent strength to support the weight of several passengers. This basket is dependent upon a hoisting cable 56 which is led over a pulley 57 jouri 4 naled upon the end of the tower. The free and upon the yokefitting 30. Rotation of The table is ro'-l ich is made of a light' end of the cable is secured to a drum 58" i mounted near the lower end of the tower i' this drum is had by means of a shaft 59 which isl connected by bevel gearing to an auxiliary drive-shaft 60' controlled by a clutch 61. A universal joint 62 transmits the power from theshaft 59 to the drum regardless of the angularity of the tower.

As a means for supporting the turn-table regardless of its angular position upon the vehicle, a pair of telescoping legs 63 and 64 are pivotally secured at an angle to and upon the edge of the turn-table supporting frame. These legs are infiated by means of compressed air delivered to lthem by hose In view of the foregoing description, it is .connections 65 and 66 which lead from the.

evident .that the apparatus may be trans-- mitted to any desired location and there operated as follows: Y

Compressed air, which has previously been 'stored within the' tank 25, is now turned into the tower by means of control valve 68. At the same time, the clutches 50 and 51 are released and allow the drums l19 and 20 to supply the proper lengths of cable to accommodate the elongation of-the tower, suitable brakes being positioned upon the shafts 5() and 51 to control the-movement of the cables in accordance with the extended length of the tower and thereby adjustably support it as it moves upwardly. When the tower has reached the desired height, the brakes are locked and the drums thus held against rotation. 4 The turn-table 17 may now be swung at an angle to the center of the truck by means of the motor 52 and the gearing connected therewith. The basket or cage 55 may then be hoisted within reach of the persons to be rescued and may be controlled by the actuating clutch 61 which in turn rotates the hoisting drum 58. Reversal of the preceding operation will restore the apparatus to its original normal position. An added operation, however, is required in the return movement, that being the releaseof the brakes upon the clutches 50? and 51 and the engagement of their complementary parts so that the driving mechanism connected with the shafts 50 and 5l will act to rewind the cables upondrums 19 and 20 as the tower collapses.

It will thus be seen that the apparatus here provided may be conveniently transported from oneplace to another and that it may be operated as a complete unit without dependence upon other apparatus.

I claim:

1. In a lire escape apparatus, the combination with a vehicle having a power plant thereon, of a turn-table mounted on the vehicle, a tower mounted on the turntable, pneumatic telescopin braces for and carried with the turn-ta le, and means whereby the power plant extends the braces.

2. In a fire escape apparatus, a portable tower, pneumatic telescoping braces for engaging the ground and supporting the tower and means for operating the braces.

3. In a iire escape apparatus, the combination with a vehicle having a power plant thereon, of a turn-table mounted upon the vehicle, a tower mounted on the turntable, pneumatic telescoping braces carried by the turn-table and adapted for engaging the ground and supporting the tower, an air tank mounted on the vehicle and connected to the braces, and means operated by the power plant for supplying air to the tank.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speciication.

HENRY J. SNOOK. 

